People, not PNP, win war vs drugs -- Quezon top cop

LUCENA City -- With the continuing success of the government’s all-out war against prohibited drugs, it’s the people and the citizenry as a whole who are winning and benefiting.

This was declared, with emphasis, by Quezon police director Senior Supt. Antonio Yarra during a media briefing attended by a number of local newsmen at Camp Guillermo Nakar, here.

“Let me clarify that it’s not only us, the police, but the general public and all the stakeholders that are winning the intensified and massive campaign of the government against illegal drugs,” said Yarra, who is in his first 100 days as provincial director.

Yarra made the pronouncement when asked about his comment on the observation that the Quezon police under his leadership is continuously winning in its anti-illegal drugs drive.

During the presentation of accomplishments, Yarra disclosed that from July 1 to October 16, the Quezon Police Provincial Office (QPPO) in implementing Project: Double launched 533 anti-drug operations resulting in the arrest of 765 persons, 408 of whom are suspected drug pushers while 375 are suspected users.

Supt. Giovanni Caliao, head of the Provincial Operations Branch, said that of the 533 operations, 232 were thru buy-busts, 178 by search warrants, 26 by arrest warrants, 11 thru checkpoints and 86 caught in flagrante delicto.

Caliao said during that period, 20 suspected drug pushers and users were killed during police operations.

However, Caliao said there were 30 deaths under investigation which are being looked into by the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG). He said the SITG is chaired by Supt. Lodemer Llaneta, the deputy police director for operation.

Under Project Tokhang, Yarra reported that a total of 9,247 houses have been visited by the police all over the province, resulting in the surrender of 1,469 pushers and 13,803 users.

Of the 1,469 surrendered pushers, Caliao said 1,115 were on the police drugs watchlist while 354 were not in the watchlist. While of the 13,803 surrendered users, he said 620 were included in the watchlist while 14,183 were not.

In his parting statement, Yarra assured Quezonians that their campaign against illegal drugs will continue but he categorically said that QPPO has no single policeman doing extrajudicial killings.